EU's Ashton urges Israel to rescind settlement decision

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton here Wednesday called on Zionist regime to rescind its decision to accelerate its settlement activities in occupied Holy Qods and West Bank.  In a statement released in Brussels, Ashton urged the Zionist regime 'to reverse this decision.'  'I am deeply concerned by the latest Israeli decisions to expedite settlement activities in response to Palestinian accession to UNESCO,' she said.  'Israeli settlement activity is illegal under international law including in East  Jerusalem and an obstacle to peace. We have stated this many times before,' Ashton  reiterated. Tel Aviv's announcement to speed settlement plans comes in the wake of last-ditch  efforts by the US and the EU to force the racist Zionists and the Palestinians to resume the futile, so-called peace negotiations.  Palestinians have repeatedly made clear that such talks are useless since Israel refuses to halt settlement construction in the occupied territories.